University of Arkansas student survives 35-foot fall from cliff

Conway teen fell while climbing near Whitaker Point

A University of Arkansas student is recovering after falling about 35 feet from a cliff in the Ozark National Forest Saturday.

The Newton County Sheriff's Office says 18-year-old Sam Roberts was hiking with friends Saturday when he slipped on pine needles and fell off a bluff near Whitaker Point or Hawksbill Crag. Ty Maple, who was hiking with Roberts, says his friend suffered a broken arm and broken tailbone.

“I was with him probably ten seconds after he fell. When I was running down there I see him. His head is just laying between two rocks, and his eyes are closed and he’s leaned back," Maple said. "I didn’t know if he was alive or not.”

Maple told the Log Cabin Democrat that Roberts landed on a slope and hit his head on the ground between two rocks. Their friend Parker West ran to the top of the trail to call for help because cell service is spotty in remote parts of Newton County.

“I gave him the phone and he had to run all the way up to the top of the trail to try to find service because there was barely any service out there," Maple said.

Emergency services arrived about an hour after the fall. EMS strapped Roberts onto a back brace and lifted him up the rock face. Thunderstorms in the area kept helicopters from airlifting Roberts to nearby hospitals.

Roberts is a freshman at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Maple said Roberts should be back in class after spring break March 25.

The sheriff's office says Hawksbill Crag is known for fatal falls. In December, 19-year-old Austin Elders fell 100 feet and later died from his injuries.

Copyright 2013 by KHBS and The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.